Interislander ferry Kaiārahi is expected to return to service at 3.30pm on Monday 18 August 2025 following scheduled dry-dock maintenance in Singapore.
Freshly painted and with its hull cleaned, and a comprehensive maintenance schedule achieved, the ship is running well and currently making good progress towards Wellington. Its return will mean Aratere can be retired and Interislander anticipates Aratere’s final scheduled Cook Strait sailing will depart Picton at 11am on 18 August 2025.
Aratere’s retirement is to allow essential port infrastructure work to begin in preparation for the brand-new rail-enabled ferries arriving in 2029.
Aratere’s wharf in Picton is due to be demolished later this year as part of the new ferry project. Aratere’s design requires specialised wharf infrastructure to load and unload, including integrated rail tracks, so it cannot use Interislander’s other berths.
Interislander Executive General Manager Duncan Roy says the ferry’s retirement is a significant milestone in the company’s transition to a modernised fleet.
“This is the start of our preparation for the new ships, and while it will have some impact on capacity on Cook Strait until they arrive, we will make it as smooth as possible for our passengers and freight customers. No booking changes are required for freight customers or passengers as a new two-ship timetable is already in place.
“The capacity of the two new ferries will be larger than our current fleet of three ships, so while this change is challenging, it’s a necessary step towards a more efficient and sustainable future,” says Mr Roy.
“As always, we encourage customers planning to travel during the peak summer season to book early and be flexible with their travel times.”
To support rail freight operations, Interislander will use road-bridging, where rail freight is moved by trailer onto our vessels, and reconnected to trains at the other end.
“Significant preparation has already gone into super-charging this operation – including bringing in new equipment, recruiting and training new staff and fine-tuning our rail freight handling processes.
“Our transition timetable optimises the additional time needed for road bridging to ensure all rail freight will be serviced at the levels our rail freight customers need and expect. This has already been factored into current bookings.
“We are still considering options for the sale of Aratere after retirement, and the vessel will be laid up at its Wellington berth while we work with a shipbroker.”
A private farewell event for Aratere crew will be held early next month.